Car-fender.



J. B. GATHRIGHL CAR FENDER,

APPLICATION FILED JAN. I4. 1918.

Patented Apr. 9, 1918.

@wi/imam NTED STATES FA oni-iron..

CAR-FENDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 9, 1918.

Application led January 14, 1918. Serial No. 211,856.

To all whom t may concern: v

Be it known that I, JosrAH 'BAKER GATH- RIGHT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car- Fenders, of which the following isv a specification.

This invention relates to fenders for cars and it has for one of its more important objects the provisions of an improved device of this nature constructed in such manner that a person caught within the fender will be automatically swung to a position of safety and deposited outside of the line of travel of the car with a minimum 0f shock and ar. Y

Further important objects ofthe invention are to provide a fender of the character above set forth which will be of simple and durable construction, may be quickly and easily attached to cars already inuse, will not be subj ect to annoying rattling in travel and will be capable of automatic release to perform its functions under the weight of the person caught therein.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawing setting forth and illustrating in detail the preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawing,

Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional view of a part of a street car with the fender in plan view; A'

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the fender;

Fig. 3 is a partial front view of the Vcar illustrating a detent hereinafter described, and

F ig. 4 is a sectional view through one of the elements of said detent;

Referring to the drawing, A designates the front platform of a street car to which my improved fender is applied.-I The fender comprises a suitable netting 5 that is supported within an appropriate frame which preferably comprises a transverse top bar 6, vertical side posts 7 and 8, a transverse front bar 9 which may have a soft covering 10, aS of rubber, if desired, and side frame members 11 which extend from the front bar 9, to, and form continuations of the lower ends of the side posts 7 and 8. The side post 7 is journaled in upper and lower bearing brackets 12 and 13 carried by the platform A, to thereby render it possible for-the fender asa whole to swing bodilv from thel full line position to the dottedv line position, illus- 1 Any suitable detent releasable under the weight of a (person caught in the fender may be employe One form of such detent is illustrated inthe drawing and comprises a bracket 18 which is carried by the platform A and has a socketv 19 formed in its under face, with which an upstanding projection 2O of the side post 8 is adapted-to have engagement.

In operation the fender is swung against the tension of the spring 14 to the full line position illustrated in-Fig. 1- and the pro-l jection 20 sprung into the socket 19. There is 'suflicient give to the parts to permit this to be done. It is designed to have the parts so arrangedthat `it will take considerable effort to spring the. projection 2O into the socket 19 so that there will be no likelihood 0f the parts becoming disengaged during the ordinary jolt and jar of the car in travel. If, however, al heavy object, such as a persons body, is caught within the fender, the weight of such object will depress the post 8 suiciently to free the .projection 20 from the socket 19, whereupon the spring 14 will throw the fender from the full line position,

illustrated in Fig. 1 to the dotted line position illustrated in said figure, thereby moving the person bodily from the track and beyond the line of travel of the car. The sudden checking of the movement of the fender by the chain 15 will result uin lthe person being thrown from the fender upon the ground but at a safe distance beyond the line of travel Vof the car.

Tt is particularly to be noted that in the presentV invention the Vfender extends entirely across the front of the car and is of such a nature that the person to be removed from the track must actually be in contact therewith before the fender is released, and further, that the fender is of such a nature as actually to carry the person from the track instead of merely' pushing the person from the track. These several features are of great importance and utility, for the rea- Stfuereafto mersiypsn nicvperson armani@ track instead of bodily carryingtheperson from the track. Second: the person being alreadyfin'vaetual Contact With'atliefender? before the fenderzbegns its swinginglamove ment ethere .-'isno' finitial.y impact between the fender and'thefbcdy oftheperson, sucheasafj third; theliperson when-initially deposited-tog one sijdejof'theatraek is-lyingfina recumbenfti position vso `that he or 'shewill' merely' -ropljl upon'the: ground,- it being .'apparentjthat the;Y danger of injuryv under? these: circumstances will be much less lthan if-a-fperson-v werethitownkfromla standing.position.-1vx

Wdiile xthie elementsherein-f shown; andr-fdel` scriberlarci-.Well adapted v4to' j serve the. purr' poses-for which theyare intended itis tobe understood r lthatf the1 constrnction shown -in the; accompanying .drawingrand herein pari ti'cularly set forth is merely. exemplary since` many Ways" ormciinti-ngf-the `fender lwith; respect to the car and of arranging the-spring.z to; actuatethe same willa f readily,y suggest themselves toVv those"skilledfV ink the arts` Itis therefore to Ibe nnderstoodthatzthel invention is 'not liinitedf'to the-1 precise' construction show-n.l but; that ite-includes Within its 'pnr View Whatever changesfairly `come;-.Witliin the spirit'of thefapp'ended claims.T

Having-f described lmy. invention f what I' claimfis:-'

1.-" In co1nbinati0n,:a cari-.fender compris*Y inga, rigid;y rame,1sa:id lender-beingcfoil sucli length as toLextendentirelyacrossthetrack;v meansiengagcd WithSaidQ-ender ations-:side thereof ifor Lbodilyf swinging theffe'nder inla. substantially. horizontals,v plane 1 across?v the track; 5 a .Y detent`- at the foppsite Vside `of the 'fender .'or; holding fit against'movement. :une der f the faction of said; means; :and 'means for autom atically releasingaV-the i'fendefr.ro'in` the detent". y'When'an obstacle is -caughtiby the fender;-

2; Af fender-` comprising rigid? trarne,A said lfenderfbeing y'or'-slic'hilen'gtlr as to eX`- tendentirely@ across vfthe; track-s;- means enga'gdlyvith saidffendencat .fone side thereof for bodily Aswingingv the fender in a-'snbstan Copies.. or this patent Amay-Hoe tiallyhorizontal plane across the track, and a fdetittorfheldingtl@fender against the actionof said means, said detent being releasabl'e under the Weight of a person caught withinlthe fender.

fnffcorifbination, a fender comprisingiaf' rigil, rame,.saidfender being of such length as to extend entirely across the track,

spring means engaged- Withsaid enderatr oneqside-thereot andjtending to. Aswing the same across the-trackfandadetent at the'op Weighqv-of a person AVcati-ght-Wlitliinfthe.fender, v 4. ifnfcembimtcny werden comprising-2a `v j0 1'ima-led.n to swingfrom one ofA its sides, p

spring. means; engaged-,withztheender andf the-, f-bearingfmemberand tendingLto swing;V

said fender, and-laf: detent 4at* i the: opposite side off ff the yfender releasable 1 under. the

weight-10i a'personcaught Within the fender.

,Aigfenderfl comprising .ail rigid frame, said fender being of such length as toy eX-V tend across fthe ktraekyspri-ngg means .engaged Withsaid fender andiy tendingsto': swing the samefacross fthe track,k al-det'ent-or resisting the 5 movement; offsf the spring-means and. a sta-y memberor limiting fthe: movement: 01': the esame@ Y A A 6; @As lfender-vv comprising.; a rigid fframe, said, fender@ being# .of suclr` lengtli as to fextend entirely across the track,`r springt means normally ftendingg'to f swing.. said-1` yfender@ and a detentorsaid fender,- comprising a sock,-V etedfelementwand-f pro'jectin upon the flemltll* englgllg-Iwitli said socketed. element.

7. A fender comprisinga rigid frame, said fenderibeinggfof,such )liength-` as to eX- tendentirely across thev track, spring means tending to swing the fenderu anda 'detenter the.l yfenderycomprising, :interengagingg elel mentsj-one off-whiehfis ladapted1to1be' moved out of the path-of theother `under the VVW'eiglfit of a person in the fender. 'In-testimony Whereofl my 4,signature in the presence ot twowitnessesaf J @sianninnffsnfrrrnasrir.

Wfitnesses: n V

,obtainedforvjeycents each;bytaddressingsthe Commissioner' of rat'e'nts:

Washington, D: CJ

, l v positefsidejof thefender;rel.'easagblen under the` 

